Indicating device



Feb. 27, 1934. A. G. BLAYLOCK INDICATING DEVICE Original Filed Dec. 2,1931 dbtormqs Patented Feb. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEApplication December 2, 1931, Serial No. 578,508 Renewed October 18,1933 15 Claims.

My invention is an improvement in indicating devices and relates moreparticularly to date indicators for articles such as radio tubes or thelike and which when applied to the article prevents use of the sameprior to the date indicated there- It is one of the objects of myinvention to prevent use of articles such as radio tubes during theperiod from their manufacture until they are sold to the consumer.

It is a further object of this invention to guarantee to the purchaserthat the article purchased has not been used prior thereto, by providingmeans associated with the articles which can be utilized to permanentlyindicate the date of sale to the purchaser. In this manner it is also anobject of the invention to insure the dealer and the manufactureragainst loss in the replacement of defective articles subsequent to theexpiration of the manufacturers guarantee.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simple device of theabove named character which may be applied to an article such as a radiotube, by the manufacturer and which may be severed in a selective mannerso as to indicate the date including the month and year in which thetube is sold to the purchaser, at the same time removing that portion ofthe device which has previously been used to prevent use of the tubeprior to its sale.

A further object or" the invention is to construct a simple indicatingdevice for radio tubes which may easily be applied to the base of thetube by slipping the same therecver yet which may not be removed withoutdestroying the device.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become more apparentas the following description of an embodiment thereof progresses,reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which likereference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame.

In the drawing:-

Figure l is an elevation of one embodiment of my invention shown appliedin use to the base of a radio tube.

Figure 2 is a view of the device severed longitudinally and shown asextending in a single plane for purposes of clearness.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the device.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure l and illustrates the first step inremoving the skirt and certain portions of the device for indicating apredetermined date thereon.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 in which the portion of thedevice indicating the date of sale has been disengaged from theremainder of the removable portion of the device, and retained toindicate the selected date.

Although I have shown my invention applied in use in connection withradio tubes it is, of course, to be understood that the invention mayequally well be applied to other articles which are sold under amanufacturers guarantee and on which it is desired to indicate the dateof sale to the consumer and it is to be further understood that I do notwish to be limited to the particular use described herein, namely radiotubes.

My invention comprises essentially a tubular body 1 which is preferablyformed by molding the material of the body to the proper tubularcrosssection and diameter so that the device when applied to the articlewill fit snugly thereon. In the present embodiment the body iscylindrical 16 in cross-section and is preferably formed in one piecehaving an inwardly extending flange 2 formed on its upper end and havinga depending skirt 3 formed at its lower end. In applying the device to aradio tube the flanged end is slipped over the lower portion of the tubebase in telescopic relation until the flange 2 overrides the upper edgeof the base whereupon the flange is snapped into seating position on theledge of the base as indicated in Figure 1. It will readily be seen thatin this position the device can not be removed from the tube base sincethe flange is permanently locked or seated on the ledge against downwardmovement of the device, the outwardly converging walls of the tube 4preventing appreciable upward movement of the device on the base.

Intermediate the skirt 3 and the flange 2, the body 1 is dividedcircumferentially into a series of portions 5 and 6, the portions 5being provded for indicia representing the months of the year, while theportions 6 are provided with indicia indicating the years such as 1931,1932, 1933, etc. Each of the indicated areas 5 and 6 may be severed onefrom the other along the dividing lines 100 7 and 8 respectively andfrom the skirt 3 and the upper portion of the body along the dividinglines 9 and 10 respectively. Each of the dividing lines may be in theform of weakened portions or perforations to permit easy and accuratesep- 105 aration of one or more selected portions from the remainingportions.

In order that the dealer at the time of sale of the tube may readilysever certain portions of the device from certain other selectedportions 110 I provide a weakened line of severence 11 extending fromthe free edge of the skirt to the weakened line 9. In this manner theoperator may readily sever the skirt before proceeding to sever the bodyportion along any of the selected lines hereinbefore described. Thisfirst step is clearly shown in Figure 4.

In Figure 5 I have shown the manner of indicating the date of November,1932.

It will thus be seen that the tube cannot be used by the manufacturer ordealer until the skirt 3 is removed, since the skirt 3 extendsdownwardly for a distance substantially equal to the length of theprongs or contacts 12 of the tube.

Although the device embodying my invention may be made of any suitablematerial I prefer to employ a material which is transparent and which isof suflicient stiffness to prevent deformation of the skirt 3 while itis attached to the body 1 thereby preventing unauthorized use of thetube and eliminating the necessity of providing a bottom wall across theopen end of the skirt, although it is to be understood that such abottom wall may be used, if desired.

In use, if it is desired to indicate the date of sale of the tube as ofNovember, 1932, for example, the dealer severe the skirt along the line11 as indicated in Figure 4 and then proceeds to tear along the lines 9,8, 10 and 7 in Figure 4. This will leave exposed the area indicating thelast highest month, November, and the last highest year, 1932. Thedealer then proceeds to tear the remainder of the skirt around the line9 until the entire skirt is removed. It will therea fore be obvious thatmy invention will protect the dealer and manufacturer against fraud andwill insure an enormous saving to the manufacturer in the case ofreplacements since with the date of sale clearly indicated on the tubein accordance with my invention, the dealer can refuse replacement ifthe period of guarantee from the date of sale has expired.

Various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of partsmay be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or thescope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a tubular body having alocking flange formed at one end thereof and having a skirt dependingfrom its other the portion of the body intermediate the flange and skirthaving indicia arranged thereon, said intermediate portion beingweakened circurnferentially to permit removal of the skirt.

2. The combination with a radio tube, having a base and contact membersextending from the base, of a body snugly fitting over the base toenclose the base and said contacts, the portion of said body enclosingsaid contacts being removable from the main body portion.

3. The combination with a radio tube, having a base and contact membersextending from the base, of a body snugly fitting over the to enclosethe base and said contacts, the portion of said body enclosing saidcontacts being removable from the main body portion, and a lockingmember carried by the body for engaging the tube base and preventingremoval of the remaining body portion as a unit.

4. A device of the class described including a tubular body having alocking flange formed at one end thereof for engagement with an objecton which the body is placed in use. and having a separable skirt portionand a portion intermediate the said flange and skirt, said intermediateportion being divided lengthwise of the body into a plurality ofdetachable indicating units.

5. An indicating device for a radio tube including a body fortelescopically engaging said tube and having a detachable skirt portion,said main body portion being divided into a plurality of detachableindicating units.

6. A date indicating device for a radio tube, including a body fortelescopically engaging the baseof said tube, said body having aretaining flange formed at one end thereof and having a detachable skirtformed at its other end, said body being divided intermediate the flangeand skirt portion into a plurality of date indicating portionsselectively detachable from one another and from the remaining body andskirt portions.

'7. A date indicating device for a radio tube including a body fortelescopically engaging the base of the tube, a portion of said bodybeing divided into a plurality of indicating portions selectivelyseparable from the body and from one another, and a detachable skirtdepending from said body and overlying the base of the tube.

8. A date indicating device for a radio tube including a body forengaging the base of the tube, a portion of said body being divided intoa plurality of indicating portions selectively separable from the bodyand from one another, and a detachable skirt depending from said bodyand overlying the base of the tube, said skirt being weakened lengthwiseof the body to permit its being severed along the weakened portion.

9. A date indicating device for a radio tube including a body forengaging the base of the tube, a portion of said body being divided intoa plurality of indicating portions selectively separable from the bodyand from one another, and a detachable skirt depending from said bodyand overlying the base of the tube, said skirt being weakened lengthwiseof the body to permit its being severed along the weakened portion, saidweakened portion of the skirt extending from the free edge of the skirtto one of said separable indicating portions.

10. A date indicating device for a radio tube including a body fortelescopically engaging the base of the tube, means on said body forretaining the same on the tube base, a portion of said body beingdivided into a plurality of indicating portions selectively detachablefrom the body and from one another, and a detachable skirt dependingfrom said body and overlying the base of the tube.

11. A date indicating device for a radio tube including a body forengaging the base of the tube, means on said body for retaining the sameon the tube base, a portion of said body being divided into a pluralityof indicating portions selectively detachable from the body and from oneanother, and a detachable skirt depending from said body and overlyingthe base of the tube, said skirt being weakened lengthwise of the bodyto permit its being severed along the weakened portion.

12. A date indicating device for a radio tube including a body forengaging the base of the tube, means on said body for retaining the sameon the tube base, a portion of said body being divided into a pluralityof indicating portions selectively detachable from the body and from oneanother, and a detachable skirt depending from said body and overlyingthe base of the tube, said skirt being weakened lengthwise of the bodyto permit its being severed along the weakened portion, said weakenedportion of the skirt extending from the free edge of the skirt to one ofsaid separable indicating portions.

13. A device of the class described comprising a hollow body forreceiving a radio tube or similar article, said body having a flangeformed at one end thereof for engagement with the tube and weakened nearits other end to provide a skirt portion, the length of the skirtportion being such that the contact end of the tube is substantiallyhoused within the body and skirt.

14. A device for preventing unauthorized use or testing of radio tubeswhich comprises a tubular body for receiving a radio tube, said bodyhaving an inward flanged portion formed at one end thereof forengagement with the tube, and

having a skirt portion depending from its other end to substantiallyenclose the contact end of the tube, said body being weakened to permitremoval of the skirt portion from its initial position relative to thecontact end of the tube.

15. A device for preventing unauthorized use or testing of radio tubeswhich includes a tubelike body having a portion extending inwardlythereof near one end for engagement with a radio tube within the bodywhereby to prevent movement of the tube in one direction relative to thebody, said body having a skirt portion depending from its other end andnormally substantially overlying the base contact members of the tube,said body being weakened to permit severing the skirt portion and itsremoval from its normal position relative to the tube base.

ARTHUR G. BLAYLOCK.

